7 Worst Self-Tanners

A faux-tan is the quickest (and safest) way to bronze your body, but reviewers would rather be pasty than use any of these tanning products

A bad faux body tan is the equivalent of an obvious toupee: everyone knows it's fake, whispers and snickers abound, and serious judgment is made about the wearer's
taste and maybe even their character. Harsh? Perhaps, but if you've made a snide remark about Lindsay Lohan's orange glow or been on a blind date with a man wearing a rug on his head, you know what we're talking about.

With that comparison, hopefully we've convinced you that a bad, streaky, or orange fake body tan is something to avoid at all costs. This should not, however, scare you out of actively seeking a natural looking glow -- it should just warn you that not all self-tanners are created equal.

Some do what they promise, giving you a UV-free week's worth of fun in the sun conveniently packed into one little bottle, while others leave your body striped, orange and stinky. To help you steer clear of any potential faux tan disasters, we've combed through thousands of reviews to find out which self-tanners you should avoid with a ten-foot limbo poll (sorry, the promise of a perfect tan always makes us think of rockin' beach party).

So before you reach for what sounds like Bahamas-in-a-bottle and slather it all over your body, make sure it didn't make this list of the 7 self-tanners women say stink.

I have tried just about every self-tanner on the market. L'Oreal Paris Sublime Luminous Bronzer worked really good when it was new, but I had a bottle that got really liquidy and older and it was impossible to get any good color from it. The Jergens products were the first ones I ever tried and I hated them. They were so streaky. However, they have completely changed and are now some of the only ones I use. The foam and the firming moisturizer ones are my favorite and even though I am very fair, I use the medium or medium/dark colors for better color. Sephora also has a tinted bronze self-tanning spray which is awesome for legs! Don't rub it in and spray like you would a spray paint. Hold about 8 inches away for even coverage and stand in the shower. It's like a spray tan but the color is instantanious. Great for the summer! The color that develops is not orangey or streaky either. Hope this helps!!!